Final Reflection - Learning to Dance

Learning the Dance

http://images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-4390389002-original.jpg

            Shimmy, shake, shimmy, shimmy.  Argh! It was at that point that I usually stumbled, or shook when I was supposed to shimmy.  I attempted to learn how to belly dance a few years ago.  I was determined.  I signed up for lessons, I downloaded some wonderful music for inspiration, and I even bought a fabulous jingly scarf.  I had a plan, a method, and a goal, but it was just much harder than I ever imagined.  Creating the confident, graceful beauty that I had hoped to become would have required intensive support, unlimited time to practice, and perhaps the surgical removal of one of my two left feet! But the experience was not a total failure.  I did learn a few new dance moves, I did enjoy the benefits of regular exercise, I did share some great laughs with my classmates, and, most importantly, I am the proud owner of a fabulous jingly scarf!   My experience with Web 2.0 reminds me of my attempt at belly dancing, but it has a brighter future than my dancing aspirations.  It has been harder than I even imagined, and I am far from the expert I hoped to become, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I have a lot of new ‘moves’ in my teaching toolbox, and I plan to continue my immersion in the Web 2.0 world. 

I entered this inquiry project with great intentions of becoming an avid blogger, an active tweeter, and a wizard of all things Web 2.0.  I had a plan and some personal and professional goals, and I am proud to say that I have managed to at least partially obtain my goals, even though there were times I veered off my plan:

Goal 1: Create a strong Personal Learning Network (PLN) by effectively managing my Google Reader and Twitter accounts.  I think that I have learned the value of Google Reader and I have learned how to effectively manage my feeds so that I am not overwhelmed by the information presented.  I am learning about which blogs I love, which I can relate to, and which ones I can live without.  Twitter has not gone quite as well.  Although I enjoy updates and posts from a select few, I am frustrated with the additional chatter.  I often get so sidetracked that nothing productive comes from my time on Twitter.  I feel that I have achieved this goal by determining that for now, blogs and RSS feeds are the best tool for developing and managing a PLN.

Goal 2: Develop an organizational system for the tools and sites that I am learning about.  LiveBinders has been a wonderful tool to help me organize Web 2.0 tools, websites, and documents for my work in the school library.  As I read other posts about the use of Evernote and Diigo, I know that I will have to further explore them to help improve the organization of my personal tools and sites.  I am pleased with my progress in this area, and feel that I now have access to an organized selection of tools to use with my students. 

Goal 3: Become a more active participant in the online world by becoming a creator of Web 2.0 materials.  The experience of creating and posting on a blog has been both terrifying and rewarding.  I have become more confident each week, and I am growing to like the idea of writing about my thoughts and experiences.  It has been a humbling reminder of what it would feel like to be a student in my classroom, and I think that is a valuable experience for all teachers.  I plan to continue to produce Web 2.0 material, whether it is through blogs, wikis, videos, or organization tools, and I hope this information will be helpful to my students and staff. 

Goal 4: Be a more adventurous learner by trying new things and risking mistakes.  I am proud of how I have progressed with this goal.  It took me awhile to take the plunge and actually post on my blog, but each week it has become a bit more natural and a bit less daunting.  Before I ever posted, I used multiple Word documents with ideas and portions of writing just to create a post.  By the end,  I was simply typing my thoughts and experience into Blogger and was adding links and multimedia as I felt it was needed.  I even shared my blog with a few coworkers and family members, something I never would have dreamed of doing a few months ago.  I think this confidence will stay with me as I continue to attempt to create new products and tools with Web 2.0.

Making Progress

I think that the format of this project was an ideal way to experience Web 2.0 tools.  I initially planned to examine one tool per week, with time to reflect on each experience, but I quickly learned that it was more logical to experiment with the tools when they were appropriate for my work in classrooms.  I also should have allowed for a few weeks of consistent experience with tools such as Goodreads, Twitter, and GoogleReader in order to gain a better appreciation for them; I had planned for this originally, but using GoogleReader and lurking on Twitter were  the only ways that I really engaged with the tools for the whole length of the inquiry project.

I began this project by stating that I was an intermediate user of technology, and I now feel I am moving towards an experienced user.  I am far from the proficient or expert level, but I am beginning to believe that nobody can ever really be an expert at all of the tools and sites that are available.  Before this class I felt that I was much more of a consumer of material than a producer of material, but now I am more comfortable with creating and sharing my work online. I am more confident, more organized, and more connected; I think I can definitely call this project a success.

Stars and Wishes

            Through this inquiry process, I feel I experienced more successes than disappointments.  Overall, I am thrilled with my accomplishments and I feel like I have plenty of knowledge to share with my staff and students.  I recently heard an elementary teacher refer to ‘Stars and Wishes’ as a more positive spin on ‘Best and Worst’, so here are my ‘Stars and Wishes’ from my Web 2.0 inquiry project:

Stars:

•  I gained a lot of confidence through just jumping in and trying new tools.  By the end, I did not hesitate to create accounts, play with tools, and even share my work with others.  I also gained confidence in sharing my opinion about tools; it was difficult for me to be honest about my feelings and struggles with some tools, but it became easier with practice.  
• I have had great success incorporating LiveBinders into my library organization.  Students seem to find the layout intuitive and I feel that I have a place to put all the ideas and sites I find along the way.  I know my shelves will continue to grow and hopefully my staff will embrace using LiveBinders as an organizational tool.
• VoiceThread was easier to use than I expected, and I have used it a couple of times for classes and extra-curricular activities.  I understand why Berger and Trexler (2010) promote VoiceThreads as a simple and easy tool that encourages collaboration, builds fluency, allows for differentiation, and inspires conversation (p. 136).  I look forward to seeing how students and teachers will continue to use this tool in their classrooms.
• I have finally become a capable and diligent user of the RSS Feed GoogleReader.  I have struggled with using this tool throughout my time in the TLDL program, but I think I have finally adapted my daily routine to include checking in on blogs and postings on this feed.  I am pleased with how this benefits my professional life, and I may now try to incorporate my personal interests into my feeds.  I also look forward to finding ways to have students use GooogleReader when completing research activities. 
• My biggest success has simply been my increased comfort and improved attitude towards integrating technology into my teaching.   I am excited for how this will change both my teaching and the teaching methods of staff members in my school.  I am particularly excited because I know this will have a great impact on student engagement and student success!

Wishes:

• I would love to have my students experience ComicLife, but the free trial is not currently working at our school.  I have spoken to our technology people and I am hopeful that we will be able to work something out.  The ComicLife in Education page has some great suggestions for classroom use, and I would like to work with teachers to modify some assignments and incorporate the use of ComicLife.  The site licence still might be a stretch for my library budget, but I am hopeful that once the teachers experience using it for a classroom we may be able to justify purchasing a licence for our school.
• I did not have much success with Readers’ Advisory (RA) tools such as Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing.  I do plan to spend more time with Goodreads, as I think it may be a useful tool particularly for developing and promoting our YA Fiction.  For now, I may refer back to them for suggestions or reviews but I will not be further building or developing my accounts.
• Although I know Twitter is becoming an invaluable professional development tool, I am still struggling with my commitment and participation with it.  Richardson (2010) praises the ability for Twitter to help educators from around the world connect and interact: “it’s become a running river of conversation and ideas that has cemented their connections to the community and made the network even more palpable” (p.86).  Even though I can see the value of the network, I am not yet able to commit to a long-term relationship with the TwitterBird.
• I wish I had all the time in the world to explore the great online tools available for schools.  It seems that as you are learning about one tool or site, you get led ‘astray’ to various other great places and ideas.  Following the links from my GoogleReader  feed and my Twitter account could be a full time job! 

Sharing my Learning

            One of my favourite roles as at teacher-librarian is the opportunity to collaborate with teachers and to provide them with skills and tools that they can use to improve their practice.  The leadership role of teacher-librarians as instructional partners is described by Church (2011):

As an instructional partner, the school librarian takes the initiative to collaborate with classroom teachers to provide authentic learning experiences for students. The librarian partners with the classroom teacher to integrate instruction in 21st-century skills with content curriculum. The librarian models teamwork, is proactive, and coplans, coteaches, and coevaluates student work with classroom teacher colleagues. The librarian leads as an instructional partner. (p.11)

This inquiry project has given me a vast selection of resources that I can share with teachers in order to increase student engagement and learning.  The appeal of using VoiceThread for differentiated instruction, the organizational structure of LiveBinders, and the summarizing skills required for ComicLife are all aspects of the Web 2.0 world that I look forward to sharing.  I teach at a school where the staff is receptive to new technologies as long as they receive the support necessary to implement them; I am thrilled that I will now be able to better support my staff as they teach 21^st century learners.

            As a classroom teacher and teacher-librarian, I am excited to be a leader in the area of Web 2.0.  Mann (2011) describes the role of teacher librarians in introducing new technologies to students:

It is also important for school librarians in their role as lifelong learners to continue to learn about emerging technologies and how to implement these tools on a regular basis. As information specialists, it is the responsibility of school librarians to provide students with the most current and effective resources in the library. School librarians are often known as the information and technology gurus of the school. It is the mission of school librarians to make sure school libraries provide effective access to all formats and types of information in a multitude of ways. (p.29)

I have already begun integrating Web 2.0 tools into my classroom.  I am working with the Grade 3/4 class on a project on Saskatchewan Explorers; instead of the usual one-page report using textbooks and Wikipedia as sources, I have created a LiveBinder for the project and students are exploring relevant and appropriate sites and then creating a variety of presentations using tools such as VoiceThread, Blabberize, and Glogster.  In computer class, the students have explored image creation sites and have demonstrated their use to the class and we are experimenting with Google Docs and other Google features.  My ELA class has created wonderful Fakebook pages for the characters of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and they will be sharing them through blogs and Facebook.  I know that when I return to teaching full time, my ELA and History classes will be full of revamped assignments that allow students to create a positive digital footprint by using Web 2.0 tools.  

The Future

            Originally I was quite sure that my blogging would not extend beyond this class, but now I am considering how I could continue to write, reflect, and learn through blogging.  As an executive member of the Saskatchewan School Library Association, I have the opportunity to create a blog that could be used and viewed by teacher-librarians in Saskatchewan and beyond.  There are already members blogging about Children’s and Young Adult literature, but there is not a discussion about uses of technology and Web 2.0 tools.  I think this would be a relevant blog for SSLA members to follow and participate in, and I certainly have a great starting point with the ideas I have encountered in this class.  I am afraid of starting something that will “lose steam”, so I want to be sure I can commit to keeping this blog current and updated.

My desire to continue blogging grew when I read a recent post from one of my favourite bloggers, The Daring Librarian by Gwenyth Jones.  Her post, entitled Just Blog It: Blogging Tips & Ideas, is motivational and educational as it provided tips for creating a great blog as well as encouragement to be yourself and to not get discouraged.  Her message includes the advice:

You don't start blogging for awards. You also don't start blogging for readers - if you blog it, they will come. It just may take a while! I blogged for YEARS for like 4 readers! (I'm lookin at YOU Svetlana in Vladivostock!) And you surely don't start blogging for comments! If you are expecting that when you start blogging you're gonna be discouraged awfully quick and give up. Blog because you have something to say & share!  (Jones, 2011, November 19, para 1)

I know I have some great ideas and experiences to share, and the freedom to write in a more casual style while still discussing issues relevant to teacher-librarians is very appealing to me.  I look forward to experimenting with this idea and seeing where it leads me.

Along with blogging, I will also continue to dabble and play with many tools that I have not had a chance to experiment with yet.  I have bookmarked a number of suggested articles and tools that have arisen from our current event discussions and I look forward to exploring many of those in more detail.  I hope to provide my students with a classroom experience that prepares them for their life outside the classroom.  Kist (2010) explains “so, whether due to scripted curricula that leave no room for new media or whether due to schools’ fears of new media or educators’ lack of knowledge, many students are left to do their networking after school and often without adult supervision” (p.6).   I believe in the benefits of teaching students how to be savvy users of social networking and Web 2.0 applications, and I hope I will be able to integrate relevant tools and skills into their classroom experience.   I am fortunate to teach a computer class where students are willing to take risks and try new tools; they are also willing to share their experience with the class, and I learn plenty through this.  I know I have just scratched the surface, and I look forward to being an exemplary life-long learner as I continue to play, experiment, and learn.

In the End

            I may not be the Web 2.0 wizard I was hoping for, and I may not become the ‘one to follow’ on Twitter, but I am proud of my accomplishments in the Web 2.0 world.  I am confident that I will be able to positively impact student learning in my school and I know that I will be a positive role model as I continue to learn and explore new tools and applications.  I might be more than a few shimmies and shakes away from greatness, but I am going to grab that jingly scarf and just keep dancing!

References

Berger, P. & Trexler, S. (2010). Choosing web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching in a digital

world.  Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Church, A. (2011). School librarians as teacher leaders. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 77(3), 10-

12. 

Jones, G. (2011, November 19).  Just blog it! Blogging tips & ideas.  [Web log comment]. 

Retrieved from http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/2011/07/just-blog-it-blogging-tips-ideas.html

Kist, W. (2010).  The socially networked classroom: Teaching in the new media age.  Thousand

Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Mann, S. (2011). 21st-century school librarians: Envisioning the future. School Library Monthly,

28(2), 29-30.

Richardson, W.  (2010).  Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. 

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Current Event #10 - Skype an Author

This week I participated in an awesome webinar on "Developing a Culture of Literacy" from Joanne de Groot (you may have heard of her ;-))!!!  She had lots of great literacy ideas, but also ways to integrate technology with literacy goals.  One of my favourite ideas was "Skype an Author"....a site where classrooms can hook up with authors for free 10-15 minute discussions with authors.  I think this is a great tool...for all schools, but especially for rural and small schools who have difficulty accessing author visits.  I look forward to trying this out in our library this year!
http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com

Entering the Blogosphere

The Blogosphere sounds like a different world....and it is, really.  It's a world where we put ourselves out there, successes and failures, to share our experiences with others.  It's a world where we trust the advice and ideas of complete strangers.  It's a world where we get caught in a stream of links and more links and end up far, far away from where we started from.  It's an exciting place....full of endless enthusiasm, strong communities, opinionated people, continuous support, thought-provoking ideas, and more information than one person could ever consume....and it's a place that I am beginning to feel more and more comfortable in each day.

At the start of this class, blogs were something I had had limited experience with: I had created a few short blogs for my students to use for various projects and I had casually read blogs on topics from mommyhood to cooking to education. I had technically followed bloggers using the RSS feed GoogleReader, although it was not something I actively followed or really understood the usefulness of.

Over the course of this class, I have become a consistent user of GoogleReader.  I check my feed daily and at minimum I skim the postings and links.  Before this class I easily became overwhelmed at the amount of information and ideas that were presented through these blogs.  However, after listening to the advice of classmates and instructors, I have learned that I don't have to engage with every posting...I can skim the information, determine if it is relevant to me, and move on.  I bookmark or add useful information to my LiveBinder page and I let the rest go.  I now have some blogs that are my favourites (NeverEndingSearch and The Daring Librarian are among them) and there are probably some that I could happily remove from my feed.  I have enjoyed following the updates of my classmates and have felt a sense of camaraderie in this Web 2.0 journey by reading about their successes and struggles. 

Look Mom:  NO unread items!!!!

Through following blogs and experiencing blogging, I have become a slightly more savvy and confident blogger.  I am still far from finding my blogging voice, but I find that part of this is my struggle to write academically while sharing personal experience.  I have gained a new appreciation for hyperlinking, catchy titles, metaphors, and screencasts.....the more blogs I read the more ideas I have for how to improve my own.

I can see many great ways of using blogs and RSS feeds with my students.  I think that as my comfort level grows, I will be able to do a better job of having them create and follow blogs: "once teahcers have been an active part of the blogosphere themselves, they want to bring their students along" (Kist, 2010, p.72).   I like the idea of students blogging about their learning on a topic, I think that a library blog with book reviews and class updates would be a great tool to show the work we are doing in the library, and I would love to see our students interact with students in other schools around the world to discuss anything from weather to current events.  One potential roadblock I foresee is that many of our parents are still leery about allowing their children to have an online presence, but I hope that some information on internet safety and on the value of a positive digital footprint would help overcome these objections. 

I am not sure what the future of blogging holds for me.  I will certainly maintain my GoogleReader and will continue to stay informed of the TL world through this method.  As for continuing to blog, I think I would like to do this on a more personal level.  I enjoyed the challenge of improving my writing style, and I think blogging about my life as a mom, wife, student, teacher, and friend would be a wonderful way to find my blogging voice. 

References
Kist, W. (2010).  The socially networked classroom:  Teaching in the new media age.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Feeling Like a Twit

http://ozgekaraoglu.edublogs.org/files/2011/02/f1a49_twitter-broken-heart-2251-21lr8t6.jpg

Okay Twitter, it's not you, it's me.  I know you will help me build my Personal Learning Network (PLN), I know you will open me up to a world of ideas, opportunities, and support, and I know you are the best professional development tool out there. But even with all that greatness, I just can't commit to this relationship.  It's too overwhelming.  It's too much like a competition.  There is too much random babble I don't understand or don't care about.  I think we have to break up. 

There are things I like about Twitter.  The hashtag system works for me, and I can find relevant and useful information through it.  I skim the paper.li updates I subscribe to and I have found some great ideas through them.  I enjoy hearing about the experiences and discoveries of my classmates, when I find the time to follow them.  Most of all, I enjoy being an insider on something that not everyone in the education world understands.  However, my struggles and frustrations with Twitter far outweigh my successes with it. 

Despite my frustration with Twitter, I know that experience and research give it rave reviews.  Richardson (2010) believes "following other educators on Twitter creates a 'network at my fingertips' phenomenon where people ask questions and get answers, link to great blog posts or resources, or share ideas for projects as they go through the day.  For many, it's become a running river of conversation and ideas that has cemented their connections to the community and made the network even more palpable" (p.86).  Twitter also receives a ringing endorsement in a Teacher Librarian article by Anderson (2011):  "Twitter is being embraced by more and more educators around the world. (http://www.edutopia.org/steven-anderson-guest-blogger-140conf) And why not?  It's a great way to build your Personal Learning Network (PLN), participate in resource sharing, and get any type of help you might need for your classroom" (para 4).  The referenced blog post includes some great suggestions on classroom uses and teacher experiences.

When I read about teachers who post a planned novel study and immediately get multiple responses about book clubs, lesson plans, and skype connections I am amazed...and a little jealous.  Their network is obviously a successful one...a useful one...and likely a very rewarding one.  This is not my network or my experience.  I know that I need to build my network through active participation and through dedicating time to the process....something I just can't do right now.

I take comfort in knowing Twitter isn't going anywhere.  I will continue to skim my paper.li updates, I will continue to check out interesting links from classmates and mentors when I remember to check my account, but for the most part I think that Twitter and I are taking a break....a bit of time apart....and maybe in the future we will build the solid relationship that so many others seem to be enjoying!


References 
Anderson, S. (2011). The twitter toolbox for educators. Teacher Librarian, 39(1), 27-30.
Richardson, W. (2010).  Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Presenting Va-Va-VoiceThread!

I am happy to report that I successfully used VoiceThread for a presentation for my students in Travel Club.  I was presenting a "Travel School" on topics such as passports, immunizations, and currency tips....pretty important information.  This type of information is often presented at parent meetings, but I find that if the parents are there the kids just zone out and figure mom and dad will take care of everything.  This time I decided to present only to the students, but wanted to find a way that the parents could access the information if they wanted it.

VoicetThread worked perfectly for this presentation.  I created my slides in Powerpoint (they were boring, I admit it, but I just wanted to present the info) and exported them as jpgs.  Then I uploaded them to Voicethread to create the presentation.  The students each logged on to a computer for the presentation (we were all in the computer lab), and as I talked about each slide I recorded what I was saying.  After I was done talking, the kids needed to add a comment along the side about what they had to do about this topic (ie: "get passport next Friday" or "order Euros from the bank".

After the presentation, I sent a link out to all the parents and encouraged them to read the slides, read their kid's comments, and listen to my comment if they needed more information.  I haven't heard any feedback from parents, but the students were really engaged with the presentation and I am confident that they are a bit more prepared for the trip.  I look forward to using this method for future "Travel School" meetings!!!

Here is the presentation....

Current Event #9 - 'Dead-Tree Book' over eBook

This article, from the New York Times, made me whisper a little hallelujah!  It discusses how parents still want children, especially pre-school age children, to have the experience of paper books.  I would hate to live in a world where the beauty of holding a book, flipping the pages, and drinking it all in wasn't appreciated.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/for-their-children-many-e-book-readers-insist-on-paper.html?_r=2&hp

Shelving Shelfari - at least for now

It's probably due to my familiarity and fondness for Amazon that I wanted to like Shelfari the most.  The truth is, I found the process of adding books cumbersome and although I liked the visual aspects of the site I don't see myself using it for either personal use or school use. 

There is undoubtedly a great amount of information, activity, and community building on the site.  The book shelf visual is beautiful, but not enough to make me want to use the site regularly.  I know that some school libraries update a shelf with new books and that this provides a link to reviews and suggested readings for patrons...I like this idea, but am unsure if this would be kept current in my library (with only 20% library time, you have to use your time very, very wisely!!!).  Perhaps this would be a good role for a student volunteer?  Hmmmm.

 Pros

•  Beautiful layout 
• Intuitive design, particularly useful for people who are familiar with Amazon.com
• Very active community
• Offers links to friends with social media
• Links to purchases on Amazon.com
• Can share your shelf on your blog (can be a pro or a con, depending on if you like to share!!)

Cons

• The window for adding new books is a very cumbersome process, too many details required
• Schools/school divisions may question the link with the business Amazon.com

Giving Goodreads a Go

I began my examination on Goodreads, intending to use it to find some recommendations for personal reading.  What I quickly realized that my recent reading has been limited to children's books and textbooks and that I have very little connection to the fiction books I used to love.  In the end I was embarrassed at the thought of anyone seeing my personal reading as of late, and so I created a shelf of favourite children's books that I have enjoyed reading to my daughter.  I suppose the recommendations could help me find some new books at the public library, but I can't imagine myself frequently updating this list just for this purpose.

I found the rating and recommendation system intuitive and almost entertaining.  I can see students enjoying this feature, if they have read enough of the selections to be active participants.  It seemed like I could have spent hours rating, reading recommendations, and adding books to my "want to read" list.  Wouldn't it be incredible to have unlimited time to just enjoy reading all these great books?!?!  Perhaps once I finish the TLDL program, it will FEEL like I have all the time in the world?!?!

Overall, I liked this program and can see it being a good tool to use with a group of students in the library.  Students would need to be avid/interested readers to enjoy using the site.  Here are some of my pros and cons for Goodreads:

Pros:

• Great layout and intuitive design
• Visual selection of books and easy-to-use rating system
• Recommendations seemed like a good match to the books I rated
• Links with friends through social media
• Listopia section provides great ideas for a number of categories

Cons:

• Could become overwhelmed at the continuous suggestions/recommendations
• May not want your reading lists public or shared with friends

Looking at LibraryThing

LibraryThing was not a tool I originally chose to explore, but it did continually appear in research and discussions.  The account I created focused on popular YA fiction that I use in my ELA classes.  I found that it gave some great recommendations and a number of useful reviews.  Unfortunately, the visual layout and design was not very exciting or intuitive.  In this flashy 2.0 world, it seemed so basic and scholarly. 

From what I understand, the LibraryThing for Libraries could be connected with our school library catalog.  I don't think this is something we will be investing in anytime soon, but I can see how it would be valuable for building a community of readers in a public library. 

Pros

• Offers a program specifically for libraries
• Has a community of librarians who use the program
• Discussion groups seemed vibrant

Cons

• Simple and "unexciting" layout and design
• Not as active of a community as other sites

Current Event #8 - Teacher-Created Math Textbooks

For the second week in a row, my husband has led me to my weekly current event.  This week it was a link on his facebook page for a parenting blog about math teachers in a Minnesota School District who created their own online math textbook for a fraction of their textbook budget.  The book is relevant to their students, a living document that can be changed or updated, and prints at about $5 a copy after the initial $25,000 to cover the teacher wages and initial start-up costs.  The teachers used a free online framework from the CK-12 Foundation to create the textbook.

The Great Debate: Goodreads vs Shelfari vs LibraryThing

Compare, compare, compare!  And still come up empty-handed? 

So over the past couple of weeks I have been exploring potential personal and educational uses of Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing.  My initial proposal did not include LibraryThing in this debate, but most of the research I read included these three tools in discussion of RA (readers' advisory) tools, so my hunt for the ideal tool quickly embraced all three.  I now have 5 new accounts, more book recommendations than could ever be explored by one human, and absolutely no idea which tool is the one for me!!!

Wyatt (2007) points out the benefits of increasing reader interactions in a library: "as the ultimate goal of RA service is to create, maintain, and increase all types of conversations about library material, incorporating readers' interactions into library catalogs and web sites pushes RA a giant step forward. Suddenly, we can help readers help one another, engage with RA services more deeply, and thus increase the serendipity of RA" (para 22).  As a librarian in a very small school, I like the idea of students being able to look for recommendations beyond their immediate peer group. 

Rapp (2011) examined LibraryThing, Goodreads, and Shelfari and found that these tools are most useful in a library when they combine the computer algorithm recommendations with the personal comments and connections:  "such one-on-one dialogs are the heart and soul of RA work, and they are getting more support than ever from book recommendation sites, which can also add complex algorithms to the mix, crunching the numbers on millions of user-provided book ratings.  This process moves beyond individual tags and reviews to provide a broad overview of opinion, and, done well, it can help provide ready-made recommendations for RA" (para 5-6). 

Although the research and experiences I have read do lead me to believe that at least one of these sites could be a useful tool, my experience with them has not convinced me that any of them will have immediate usefulness in my life.  I will explain my use of each tool in future posts, and will try and discover at least one way I can incorporate one of these tools into my personal or professional life. 

References

Rapp, D.  (2011). Crowdsourcing RA. Library Journal, 136(10), 56.

Wyatt, N.  (200). 2.0 for readers. Library Journal, 132(18), 30.

Researching VoiceThread

VoiceThread is not a tool that the students of my school have been exposed to.  After participating in online presentations that have used the tool, I believe that it would be an excellent way of encouraging students to actively participate and share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions.  It appears that there is research that supports my belief that it would be an excellent tool for providing differentiated instruction for all learners.

Brunvand and Byrd (2011) researched the educational benefits of using VoiceThread in the K-12 classroom.  They concluded that Voicethread provided all students with the opportunity to demonstrate their strengths, was structured to be flexible enough to be used in all subjects, allowed student work to be archived, encouraged passive learners become actively involved, promoted collaboration in a variety of learning networks, and  differentiated teacher input and student output.  (p.31-33, 36).  

My current situation is that I need to decide if paying to create a classroom account will be worth the money.  The free account is limited to the creation of three VoiceThreads, and that won't last long when using it with students.  Brunvand and Byrd (2011) recommend the classroom account as it allows teachers to sign students up without the need for emails, gives teachers access to user names and passwords, and it allows all users to create and comment on VoiceThreads.  These features compliment the features available on all accounts, which include comment moderation and a minimal amount of technology required to access VoiceThread (p.31). 

The following page includes a number of tutorials that are useful for anyone looking to use VoiceThread for either educational or personal purposes: VoiceThread Tutorials

I am going to continue to play with my free personal account while I try to figure out how I would use this tool in the classroom.

References
Brunvand, S., & Byrd, S.. (2011). Using VoiceThread to promote learning engagement and success for all students. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(4), 28-37. 

LiveBinders Assignment Complete

After playing around and creating and deleting a number of binders, I think I have found a shelf and binder system that will work for my library.  I will need to create a shelf for each class, and then create binders for each assignment or topic that I am collecting sites and resources on.  Here is a quick tour of my newest LiveBinder creation.

I have learned how to add a variety formats of resources, including powerpoints, word documents, mp3s, and websites.  This variety has been great for creating assignments that include more than just a list of weblinks.  I am more comfortable organizing the binders now, and I have learned how to move tabs, switch between tabs and subtabs, and organize my page by using different shelves. 

My students found the site easy to navigate and I like that they will not be able to "lose" the assignment sheet as it is right in the binder!  I also like that everything can be constantly updated and edited. I am curious to see how younger students will navigate the binders, and I look forward to sharing this tool with teachers to see if they can come up with some more creative uses for it!!!

Current Event #7 - Dropbox - It's Everywhere!!!!

You know when you buy a new car, and then instantly see the same model everywhere you go?  I have a feeling Web 2.0 tools are kind of like this!  You hear about a "new" tool, and suddenly you see everyone using it and begin to wonder how you went so long without it!

Dropbox is this tool for me!  My husband introduced me to it this week when I was fretting the idea that my Android phone had over 300 pictures and videos of my ridiculously adorable daughter on it, and the only way I knew to get them off my phone was emailing or uploading each one individually.

How could you stand the thought of losing this cute picture???

He told me I could download a free app to my phone, and then transfer all my photos and videos in one big transfer!  It worked like a charm, and I was instantly able to log onto the website and see all the photos on my laptop!  Hooray!

The great thing about Dropbox is that you can save all your files here and then retrieve them anywhere!  I can picture lots of uses for school and for this class, especially since I use a combination of computers at home, school, my parents' house, etc.  There is also a feature to share the folders with others, so I can invite anyone who is interested to view some or all of these 300 photos!

So once I "discovered" this "new" tool, I realize that I am not alone in loving it!  I got an email from a friend inviting me to view her folder, I was invited to edit an article using the Dropbox format, and I saw a blog post on my Reader that showed me that there are way more uses for this tool than I even knew about!  Can't wait to explore more!!!

My Library LiveBinders

Once I discovered that LiveBinders would be an ideal tool for my work in the library, I created a school library account and began by creating binders for classes I have been working with.  I figured that as I came across sites or created documents, they could all be placed in subtabs inside this binder.

What I am quickly realizing is that a binder for each class will not allow for enough "layers" of tabs and subtabs for my liking.  I think I am going to have to create a SHELF for each class, with a binder for each topic or assignment. Here is what my shelf originally looks like...hopefully I will be able to play around today and make it more useful!!!

I am learning that this tool will be a great help for organizing school material, but it may not be the best tool for my personal use.  I think I will have to re-introduce myself to tools such as Diigo and Evernote to see if they are the answer to my "online hoarding" nightmare!

LiveBinders - The "Why"

LiveBinders is a new tool that I am exploring in the hopes of getting more organized!  My original plan was to create a personal binder and then try and find applications for my job, but I realized on my first day back at school that I needed a new way to compile my school and library resources...and LiveBinders seemed to be a great tool to start with!!!

One aspect of LiveBinders that I really like is that I believe it is a tool I will be able to introduce to teachers and encourage them to use.  Berger and Trexler (2010) believe that "competency begins with understanding and school librarians are in the ideal position as they collaborate with teachers to effectively model, integrate, and use Web 2.0 technologies in their teaching and learning" (p.17).  My school has not effectively made use of the teacher-librarian position in the past, and I hope to become a leader who effectively collaborates with teachers and models some great tools for the classroom.  LiveBinders will be a tool that I will use in the library, but I think teachers will be able to create their own shelves and binders for their individual work.

 
References

Berger, P. & Trexler, S. (2010). Choosing web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching in a digital

world.  Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Current Event #6 - Change Your Image Workshop

I have been looking for ways to have my Grade 9 computer class explore some Web 2.0 tools, and this "workshop" wiki from Doug Johnson gave me a great idea for how to set it up.  Each group explores a couple of the web tools and creates two products with that tool.  They then share one tool with the group, explaining their product and how the site works.  This workshop is designed for educators, but could easily be completed by students.  I think it will be great for them to try out the tools and think about how they could be incorporated into class assignments....they might even come up with some great ideas that teachers can use in other subjects!!!

S-U-C-C-E-S-S!!!

Yippee!!!  After creating my last post, the edit link for Thinglink magically appeared (okay, maybe it wasn't magic...maybe creating a new post provided the refresh the page needed for it to appear)!!! I was able to link each book to the appropriate page on the Willow Awards' site.  This page provides a book summary, author information, links to book reviews, and suggested activities.  Just click on the dot and you are on your way!  Hooray!

Comic Life Creation - Take Two

After much ado, here is my latest attempt at Comic Life:

I feel this is definitely an improvement on attempt #1, so I think I am finding my groove with this program.  My improvements are mostly due to discovering some of these features:

• The style button that edits your pictures – this allows you to change pictures to appear more “comic-like”, although some of them make the pictures unrecognizable
•  The caption boxes attached to the pictures – this matches my image of a comic layout 
• The ability to change the colour of fill and fonts in the thought/speech bubbles – I originally thought we were stuck with the options presented in the style drop-down

This attempt makes me more confident that students will be able to create personalized and creative work that they can be proud of.  I think that time to “play” is crucial to understanding all that the program can do, so I will need to consider this when introducing it to a classroom.  Perhaps a guided activity and some free “play time” would be a better first step than expecting them to simply log on and create a masterpiece!

My other goal was to attempt to add thinglinks to this picture to make it interactive.  I have added the plugin to my blog, but have not figured out how to get the “edit” option to appear on my images.  I will continue to play with this in my free time (ah hahaha!) and perhaps I will be able to present a “new and improved” poster in the future!

Educational and Fun???

As I use this program, I am constantly thinking of how it can be used in the classroom.  I know that students would love using this program, but where can it be used that it will actually demonstrate learning?  The Comic Life in Education page has some great information and ideas on how this can be used in schools...the Examples tab provides some particularly useful examples of everything from using comics for conflict resolution to storytelling to cause and effect.  

One major concern I have (as I watch my free trial days tick down!!!) is the cost of the program.  I hear that some school divisions are purchasing site licences for schools, but ours has yet to do this.  I would be interested in hearing the experiences of teachers and teacher-librarians who have this program licensed at their school.  Are you seeing some examples of great work?  Do students enjoy the program?  Is it really extending learning or is it just another fun tool?  

I guess my concern in purchasing a licence for my school is that it might be a quick fad that will be used for awhile and then quickly forgotten.  Can someone ease my mind???

Creating Life...Well, Comic Life At Least

BAM! POW! WOW!  That’s the end result I was hoping for when using Comic Life.  My first attempt at using the program leaves me somewhat disappointed.  I won’t blame the product yet, but I will let you know a bit about my experience.

Comic Life is a program that allows you to use your photographs to create posters and comics that really stand out.  I saw some wonderful examples of Comic Life creations  (library posters and teacher-librarian roles) and I had high hopes for what I could create.  I decided to create a poster to advertise our upcoming Travel School lessons for students in my Travel Club.  Here is the end result:

I began the process by downloading the free 30 day trial for Windows.  I suppose that might be my first issue, as the deluxe version of the product (available for $29.95) features 40 fonts (vs 7 in the trial), 322 templates (vs 78), and 180 styles (vs 78).   For now I will have to make-do with my free trial and see what can be created!!!  

The program itself is fairly intuitive and I found some extra help in a couple of online tutorials (MacInstruct and TheDaringLibrarian).  It took some playing for me to realize that the “Style” button on top would inform me what component I have selected (textbox, picture, frame, etc).  I haven’t been able to crop photos as much as I had hoped, and I am struggling with my inability to center the font in the textboxes.  One lesson learned the hard way was that once I plugged my mouse into my laptop (instead of using the touch pad), formatting and moving objects became a lot easier!

I will continue to play, and will hopefully improve on my first attempt!